https://www.facebook.com/469055992965797/

Lil Quacks Refuge., Christchurch (2026)

04/06/2026

Hey wildling fam!

can we have a chat about Egburts bills for a minute?

Even though Egburt is no longer physically here, one thing that didn't disappear with him was the vet bill.

When Egburt became unwell, we did what we always do. We didn't stop to ask if we could afford it. We didn't sit down with a calculator. We didn't hold a committee meeting. we started making phone calls.
And then more phone calls.
And then even more phone calls.

Finding someone willing and able to come out to the Land Ark to help an ostrich on his final journey isn't quite as simple as booking an appointment for a cat or dog.Eventually we found a wonderful vet who was prepared to come to us, allowing Egburt to stay somewhere familiar, somewhere safe, and somewhere surrounded by the people who loved him.

It was the last gift we could give him.

Because that's what rescue is.

You don't get to tell an animal, "Sorry mate, can you schedule your emergency for next payday?"

The reality is that specialist care for an ostrich isn't exactly a budget-friendly hobby. Unfortunately they don't fit in the "small bird" category no matter how much they insist they are just giant chickens.

We're still carrying part of Egburt's veterinary costs, of $424.33 and if anyone would like to help us chip away at that bill we'd be incredibly grateful.

Every dollar helps.
Every share helps.
Every bit of support helps.

And while it's hard talking about bills attached to one of the toughest losses we've faced, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant giving him the chance he deserved.

He arrived here as a tiny, broken baby that many people would have written off.

Instead he spent six months being loved, spoiled, admired, and causing absolute chaos across the Land Ark.

For that, the bill was worth every cent.

If you'd like to help Egburt make one final contribution to rescue by helping us clear the debt he left behind, remember we are a registered charity donations can get a tax back. donation details are below.

RENEE MCAULIFFE 12 3164 0322659 01 ref egburt.

Thank you for helping us continue saying "yes" when animals need us most.

Fly high, big guy. The Land Ark still feels a little too quiet without you.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

04/06/2026

Hey wildling fam!

Land Ark update!

This all started very innocently.
The plan was simple: lay some new pipes, upgrade to bigger and better water tanks, do a bit of work around the place and call it a day.

That's it.

That was the plan.

Unfortunately, the Land Ark had other ideas.

One thing led to another, which led to another thing, which somehow led to a pond being dug, earth being moved, drainage being improved, and the discovery that our property appears to have been designed by a committee of drunk badgers!

see once the grass was cut, we had discovered dips, holes, hollows, ruts and assorted terrain features that we had absolutely no idea existed.
Where were they before?

Under the grass.

Waiting.

Plotting.

Every time we think we've found them all, another one appears like some sort of land-based whack-a-mole.

So finnaly now we're slowly filling dips, hollows, potholes, trenches, suspicious depressions and several features that can only be described as "well that's definitely not supposed to be there." All alongside the tank and pipe work, we're slowly filling in all the hidden surprises scattered around the Ark.

Every time we think we've found them all, another one appears.

At this point I'm convinced the property is growing holes faster than we can fill them.

Meanwhile the animals have become involved in this project
They have naturally appointed themselves as the project management team

The ducks are inspecting every hole.
The geese are inspecting every hole.
The sheep are inspecting every hole.
The pigeons are inspecting every hole.
The chickens are inspecting every hole.

Half the residents are standing around staring into random depressions in the ground like highly qualified civil engineers.

Except Chickadee.
Chickadee has absolutely no interest in the holes.

No interest in the pond.
No interest in the drainage.
No interest in the earthworks.

Chicadee has fallen completely and utterly in love with the digger.

While everyone else is conducting important site inspections, Chickadee can usually be found standing nearby admiring heavy machinery like a child who's just discovered dinosaurs are real.
He spends his time admiring it from various angles like he's at a celebrity meet-and-greet.

Honestly if that digger drove away tomorrow, I think he'd pack a bag and leave with it.

I don't know what his long-term plans are.
I don't know if he thinks the digger is another bird.
I don't know if he's planning to marry it.

But at this point I feel like if the digger left, he'd probably try and follow it down the driveway.

Meanwhile the rest of us continue our battle against the ever-expanding collection of mystery holes hidden around the Land Ark.

The pond looks fantastic.
The property is getting flatter.
The animals are providing absolutely no useful labour.

And Chickadee remains the president of the Digger Fan Club.

This is how quickly something so small can just become something big and beautiful.

We have been really blessed to have it all worked on, one of the workers said this is the dream, and how it was one of his most favorite worksites......

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

03/06/2026

Hey Wildling Fam,

Just a wee heads up for anyone popping into the Land Ark over the next little while...

If you arrive and think 'good lord, what happened here?" please don't be alarmed.

There are works in the works.

At the moment it looks less like a rescue and more like somebody lost a fight with several tonnes of dirt.

There is dirt where dirt should be.
There is dirt where dirt shouldn't be.
There is somehow dirt on things that have never even been near the dirt.

If the wind blows, there's dirt.
If it rains, there's mud.
If you stand still too long, you're probably becoming part of the landscape.

Things are being shifted around, sorted out, and worked on, so if it seems more chaotic than usual that's because it genuinely is.

The animals, of course, think this is fantastic.

The ducks are inspecting holes.
The chickens are excavating their own archaeological dig sites.
The geese are conducting health and safety inspections by aggressively yelling at everyone.

Meanwhile we're wandering around looking busy while trying to remember where we put things before we moved them.

So if you visit and it looks like organised chaos has become slightly less organised, don't worry.

Nothing is wrong.

There are just works in the works and a whole lot of dirt involved in making them happen.

And if rescue has taught us anything, it's that no project is ever truly finished it just gets interrupted by a duck.

02/06/2026

EDIT thankyou wildling fam, i got some real good advice and someone to call, i very much appreciate all ya all support!

Wildling fam,

I have a slightly unusual request.

Is anyone here a lawyer, or knows a lawyer, who may be willing to do a little bit of pro bono work or at least point me in the right direction?

Before anyone starts making up conspiracy theories, no, I haven't been arrested for duck theft, formed an organised goose crime syndicate, or been taken hostage by a Muscovy.

I just have a matter I need some professional advice on etc and, as it turns out, "I read something on Facebook once" isn't actually recognised as a legal qualification.

Rescue teaches you a lot of things. How to catch ducks. How to crawl through blackberry bushes. How to transport geese that are plotting your downfall.

What it doesn't teach you is legal stuff.

I'd rather get proper advice than accidentally stumble through it like I do most things in rescue.

I can't discuss the details publicly right now, im normally transparent, but, i just cant feed the trolls here, just, if you're a lawyer, know a lawyer, or know someone who knows someone who knows a lawyer, please flick me a message.

As always, the Land Ark remains innocent until proven guilty.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

01/06/2026

Hey wildling fam!

The story of the Criminal Chicken

Yesterday we were called out to rescue a chicken in town.

Now this is not just a chicken.

This chicken has achieved local legend status.

There have been countless sightings, multiple Facebook posts, several failed capture attempts, and at this point I wouldn't be surprised if it has its own mortgage, driver's licence, and strong opinions about council rates.

We asked if someone could stay with it or contain it until we arrived. Unfortunately, no one could and by the time we got there, our feathered outlaw had once again evaded authorities and disappeared into the urban wilderness.

From what we've been told, this bird covers an impressive amount of ground around the Pages Road area. One minute it's here, the next it's somewhere else. Honestly, it appears to have a better understanding of Christchurch's road network than I do.

Now, in situations like this, sometimes it's actually better to help first and ask questions later.

Normally we wouldn't tell people to pick up random animals. If you see a cat wandering around, chances are it's exactly where it's wants to be and lives three houses away. Cats have trained humans into believing they're missing for centuries.

A chicken wandering around Pages Road, however, is a very different situation.

Chickens don't usually commute through traffic, dodge buses, negotiate roundabouts, and spend their afternoons avoiding dogs, cats, and whatever else Christchurch decides to throw at them.

So if you see this chicken:

Give us a call, or alt call on Chicken Rehab & Rehoming ChCh they are even better in experience and equipt than we are in re to chicken rescue.

Keep eyes on it if you can.

If you're able to safely contain it, even better.

Because while this chicken may think it's starring in fast & Furious: Free Range Drift, Pages Road is not a great place for a chicken to be living its best life.

There are cars.

There are dogs.

There are cats.

There are people who somehow manage to hit stationary objects in broad daylight.

And through all of this, one chicken is apparently wandering around unsupervised like it's paying rates.

If this chicken belongs to you, please have a look around your property. Check fences. Check gates. Check whether your chicken has simply decided domestic life is beneath it and has embarked on a solo backpacking trip across Christchurch.

As for the chicken itself, if you're reading this, your crimes have been noted.

You cannot outrun the rescue network forever.

Probably.

Last seen somewhere around Pages Road, continuing its campaign of absolute nonsense.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

01/06/2026

Hey wildling fam!

This week we were able to help with some emergency housing for a group of very sick little kittens from another rescue.

The rescue had already reached out trying to find space, but everyone was absolutely full. And when we say full, we mean FULL. Not even in season and kittens hit like a freight train and rescues everywhere are drowning in babies.

Now, we don't use foster homes for our own intakes. Every animal that comes through our doors stays here with us fostering wildlife is very different and we simply dont have time when also rescuing to guide people such a way . But many cat and dog rescues rely heavily on foster carers to keep going, and right now they are desperately short.

If you've ever felt that little voice in the back of your head saying, "I'd love to help animals but I don't know how," this is it. This is where you are needed most.

These rescues are overflowing, underfunded, overworked, and running on equal parts caffeine, panic, and pure stubbornness. Yet every day they keep showing up because there are animals that need them.

The beautiful thing about fostering is that everything is usually provided. The food, the bedding, the medical care, the advice, the support. You provide a safe space and some love, and in return you help save countless lives.

And yes, the hardest fosters to find are often for the sick babies. Everyone worries they'll do something wrong.

The thing is Looking after them is usually nowhere near as scary as people think. Rescue will teach you what to do, guide you through it, and be there if you need help. Most of the time it's medication, warmth, food, cuddles, and keeping an eye on them.

That's it.

Meanwhile, that spare room, laundry, bathroom, or quiet corner of your house could literally be the difference between a rescue saying "yes" or "sorry, we have no room."

So if you've ever considered fostering, now is the time.

Not next kitten season.
Not when life is less busy.
Not when you feel more qualified.

Right now.

Because somewhere tonight another rescue is staring at a message asking for help and wondering where on earth they're going to put one more tiny life.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

31/05/2026

Hey wiildling fam!

Yesterday in the middle of becoming some forgotten creature of lore, we had a suspected pregnant hedgehog come into care after being poisoned. (Yes I know she looks little in the photo she is actually a two hand hold she is huge, also I dont know if she is pregnant, that information come from another rescue with more experience in hedghogs dont come at me)

Thankfully, she has started eating and drinking, and for now she's proving to be an absolute little fighter. We're not out of the woods yet, but she's giving us reasons to be hopeful.

This does bring up something important though.

I understand people sometimes want to remove animals they see as pests. That's a conversation people have every day, it is what it is.... But poison is one of the worst ways for an animal to die.

Depending on the poison used, death can take hours or even days. Some poisons cause internal bleeding, others attack the nervous system, and some simply cause a slow decline where the animal becomes weaker, more dehydrated, more confused, and more distressed until eventually their body gives up.
If you have ever heard a mouse scream from being poisoned it is such a painful thing,

What many people don't realise is that poison rarely stops with the animal you intended to target.

A poisoned hedgehog gets eaten by a dog.
A poisoned rat gets picked up by an owl.
A poisoned mouse gets caught by a hawk.
A poisoned animal dies in a paddock and is scavenged by gulls, magpies, cats, or other wildlife.

Suddenly you've gone from one dead animal to several.

And that's before we even talk about accidental poisoning.

The wrong species can eat the bait directly. Birds, wildlife, pets, and even curious young animals don't read warning labels. They simply find something that smells interesting and eat it. Im sure we have all heard about the poisoning of whole generations of pukeko in a farm surrounding willowbank and some of the residents of willowbank themselves where there was 50 casualties to know what happens when you lay bait in spaces without thought to other wildlife.

We've seen far too many animals suffer because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Whatever your views are on pest control, poison is rarely as targeted as people think it is. Nature doesn't work in neat little boxes. Everything is connected. What affects one animal often affects many more.

For now though, our focus is on this little lady.

She's warm, she's eating, she's drinking, and she's reminding us that even the smallest creatures have an incredible will to live.

Keep fighting, muma! We're all rooting for you.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work.

31/05/2026

Hey wildling fam!

Well this has been amusing.

A few people have recently discovered I'm in performing arts and have immediately gone:

"Wait... what?"

Followed closely by:

"SHOW US PHOTOS."

Now look, I don't usually talk about it because this page is about rescue. You came here for ducks, geese, pigeons, the occasional emotionally unstable sheep and whatever fresh nonsense the Land Ark has become involved in.

Not me.

But apparently I've hidden this fact a little too well.

So yes.
Im in preforming arts......

I am a drag queen.

Have been for about five or six years now.

And before anyone starts panicking, this isn't a political post. The rescue hasn't suddenly changed direction. We haven't become Lil Quacks Refuge: The Musical.

I was doing drag the entire time.

You all just thought I spent 24 hours a day emerging from swamps carrying ducks????

Which, to be fair, is also true.

my drag is probably not what people expect.

I don't do glamorous.

I don't do sexy.

I don't do comedy.

I am absolutely a butter face......everything on point....but my face....

If the song sounds like it was written by someone standing in a graveyard during a thunderstorm while making increasingly questionable life decisions...

That's probably my set list.

If there's a tragic story, heartbreak, loss, monsters, villains, ghosts, emotional damage or something guaranteed to make half the audience stare blankly into space afterwards...

I'm interested.

As for costumes?

I make them myself.

Because apparently rescue wasn't expensive enough.

So instead I spend months building giant costumes, sewing things together, painting things, gluing things, setting myself unrealistic deadlines and creating outfits that weigh approximately the same as a small farm animal.

Then I perform in them.

Then I take whatever money I make and somehow it ends up paying for duck food.

Which honestly feels like the most ridiculous business model ever invented.

Imagine explaining that to someone.

"So what's your side hustle?"

"Oh I dress as a nightmare creature, perform sad songs and use the money to rescue waterfowl."

Perfectly normal behaviour.

Anyway, because so many people asked, I'll throw some photos up.

Just remember there is a very big difference between stage me and rescue me.

One looks like an eldritch creature that emerged from the darkness to tell a tragic story.

The other is usually standing in a paddock yelling "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE S**T" at a goose.

They're essentially the same person.

So here is some pictures for your sunday Sunday I will put a couple of links up of preforming on this post when I have more time....

Team work makes the dream work gurllllllllssssss.....

30/05/2026

Hey wilding fam!

Just a little clarification because we've had quite a few people over the last few weeks saying things asking is it ok to tag us, or, speaking on our behalf saying we're full, overwhelmed, or can't take on any more. Ment with all the love and understanding in the world....

Please don't.
If we're full, I'll tell you we're full.
If we can't take something, I'll tell you we can't take something.
If we need help, I'll ask for help.

What we need right now is more infrastructure. Buildings. Aviaries. Storage. A shipping container. Something. Anything. Before breeding season comes back around and chooses violence once again, i have been so dam loud about that.

But we're coping.

When we moved here, it was the beginning of breeding season. At one point we had well over 130 animals in care. Add to that the place itself needed a full overhaul rubbish etc left behind via past tenants. The grass was high, Ducks, birds, rabbits, chickens, everything imaginable turning up at once. It was chaos, but it was manageable chaos ot was me constantly working.

What wasn't manageable was the gossip.
What wasn't manageable was the whispering.

What wasn't manageable was people talking about us instead of talking to us, actually seeing for themselves.

Somewhere along the way, people decided we were overwhelmed, then people decided we were failing, then somehow that became accusations of animal hoarding.
We weren't.

We were rescuers in the middle of breeding season doing exactly what rescuers do.

Winter is actually the easy season. So easy, in fact, that we've even been able to help another rescue by temporarily fostering some kittens.
My biggest issue right now isn't capacity.
It's funding.

It's preparing infrastructure for the next season.
It's making sure we have the buildings and spaces needed before spring arrives with its annual "everything reproduces at once" event.
Thats it i would just like to unpack my house.
I would just like to take on what I know is coming.

Last season wasn't the animals that broke me.
That was the people.
No seriously.
Last breeding season I had an actual nervous breakdown.

It got to a point where there was not just the relentless bullying, but, other rescues gossip all of it lead to 5 investigations, from different gov. Departments all closed, but, started with gossip.

The only thing holding me together was the fact there were animals depending on me. Rescue responsibilities don't stop because you're having a bad day. The ducks still need feeding. The injured birds still need medication. The phones still ring.

That's also about the time I stopped giving a f**k what most people thought.

Not because I'm tough.
Not because I'm fearless.

But because I learned very quickly that no matter what you do, someone will make up a story that sounds more exciting than reality.

The funny thing is people often mistake me being busy for being overwhelmed.

They're not the same thing.

You will probably never see me overwhelmed in the same sense most people mean it.

I'm built a bit differently.

I can be running on three hours sleep, bottle feeding babies, catching ducks, arguing with a printer, and wondering why a goose is in a place no goose should physically be able to access... and still be absolutely fine.

That doesn't mean I don't have limits.

It means I know what my limits are and normally push them, being uncomfortable doesnt last long anyway, its a very short time of uncomfortablility for me to give a life time for what ever lands here temporarily.

So please don't speak for us, please dont speak for me.

Don't tell people we're full unless we've said we're full.
Don't tell people we can't help unless we've said we can't help.
Don't assume.
Ask.
Because if I have a problem, I'll tell you.
If I need help, I'll ask.

And if I ever truly hit the point where I can't continue, you'll hear it directly from me.

Not from the rescue grapevine. Not from Facebook rumours. Not from someone's cousin's friend's neighbour's dog walker. From me.

And look, I genuinely do love you all for it. I know for some of you it does come from a place of caring and wanting to protect me, and I appreciate that more than you know.

It's just the conversations, debates, speculation, and people speaking on my behalf that I struggle with more than the rescue itself.

The reality is, doing this mostly alone might look difficult to a lot of people, but for me it's actually easier.

Rescue makes sense to me. Animals make sense to me. The work makes sense to me. Humans dont so many are too violent in words and actions,to each other, to anyone doing better than they feel they could, to anyone they can not control. I am being honest and no shade, no offensive, humans make no sense to me at all.

The one negative thing i can say is this, Ive spent enough time seeing humanity at both its very best and its very worst to know that people can be far more exhausting than any injured duck, angry goose, or midnight callout ever will be. I have seen everyones idea of humanity and I simply dont want to be apart of it.

So while I truly appreciate the concern,even my own partner can not speak for me, obviously I would rather not one else did, please trust me when I say I'm okay. If I'm not okay, I'll tell you. Until then, let me keep doing what I do best: helping animals and causing just enough chaos to keep life interesting.

Just if I havent said it dont listen to it. Again no shade no offense love all of ya and the support love and care you all have for animals here, just i dont want repeats of the last time please. I don't want people to decide not to help an animal because they believed i was full or worse, try to help and hurt an animal because they didnt know how to care for it.

Whist the kingdom is chaotic, the ruler remains annoyingly functional.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

30/05/2026

Hey wildling fam,

Man alive this post really makes me feel like i have this inflated bloody idea of self importance, I hate stating this sort of thing like im the only important person in the room, but, im guna say it anyway because aparently im it for your sunday rescue.....

Just a heads up that I have a performance tomorrow, (sunday) so I will be mostly unavailable for rescues, pickups, and my reply speed will be somewhere between "slightly delayed" and "has completely vanished into the theatre void."

As many of you know, performing arts is one of the ways I help fund this rescue, so for one afternoon and evening I'll be swapping ducks, geese, pigeons, and general animal related chaos for stage lights weird makeup glitter and organised human chaos.

If you need to do a drop-off, I can only do them between 10 and 3, but, Because I make all of my own costumes, tomorrow will be spent in full costume fashion designer mode, frantically sewing, gluing, painting, adjusting things that were definitely finished yesterday, and questioning my life choices.

As a result, any drop-offs will need to be very quick, as I'll be juggling rescue responsibilities alongside getting everything ready for the show. Please don't be offended if I'm a little rushed, it's not you, it's the mountain of fabric, feathers (and not just the birds), sequins, and last minute panic currently taking over my life.

I will still be checking messages when I can, but please expect delays with rescue advice, transport requests, and general enquiries.

Normal rescue programming will resume once I have removed the makeup, remembered who I am, and returned from pretending to be a functional member of society.

Thank you all for your understanding and continued support. The animals appreciate it, even if they have absolutely no idea where I've gone.

Remember teamwork makes the dream work!

Lil Quacks Refuge.

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

31/05/2026

30/05/2026

30/05/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share